Self-publishing: where's the editor?

'How many people reading this would go and buy a self-pubbed book from a complete unknown?' asked  Vanessa Gebbie  recently, on her  facebook page. The 77 lively comments suggest she hit a nerve. Many said No. Will a self-published book have been as rigorously edited as one published by a traditional publisher?

They say prejudice is born of ignorance, so thinking it was time to search out some information, I turned to Gerald Hornsby. I met Gerald at Frinton Litfest in 2010. He has been writing since he could hold a pencil, but his short stories and flash fiction were languishing on various hard drives until, excited by the new opportunities in self-publishing, he gathered them into two collections of dark fiction, and published them on Amazon and Smashwords. His debut full-length novel, entitled Buried Threat, will be published in summer 2012, and he has a series of crime stories in the pipeline.

Gerald's Bleak Midwinter story collections one and two are available at Smashwords (for non-Kindles) or you can buy both in one print edition. Kindle editions are available on Amazon

Here's what Gerald has to say about editing:

There's no doubt that publishing has been changing over the past few years, and with the advent of cheaper electronic readers, the market for ebooks has increased dramatically. One of the most beneficial effects of this is that many more authors can now have their work published.

In one way, this is a very good thing. No longer do authors need to persuade a so-called 'gatekeeper' – a publishing editor – that their novel is worthy of the huge investment to make it available in print. We all know stories of famous authors being rejected – twelve publishing houses rejected J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Stephanie Meyer, author of the hugely successful Twilight Saga series, sent out fifteen query letters for her first book. Of those fifteen, she got nine straight rejections, five no responses, and one person that wanted to see her. So, in the new publishing paradigm, the book-consuming market is available to every author.

But there is a downside. The ebook market has become flooded with works from unknown writers, and the quality of some of those ebooks is questionable. Bad spelling and punctuation, loose formatting and poor design can be fixed – sometimes – automatically with software and online support. But what about bad writing? Poor storytelling? Characters that are gossamer-thin, plots that meander meaninglessly, pacing that lurches from turgid to express?

The traditional publishing house employs editors to work with the author, to develop their novel, iron out inconsistencies, and firm up on elements that might make the novel better. But what about the self-publisher? What are they to do? One route is to use friends, relatives and acquaintances. But readers with a social or familial link to the author are notoriously lenient. As an author, I meet people all the time who say things like "I've written a few things, and everyone I've shown it to really loves it." It's hard to find someone close to you who can remain objective. However, there is an option available to self- or independent (sometimes called "indie") publishers – which is to use a third-party editing service.

Before we discuss options, any independent publisher should know that there are two stages of editing your novel. The first is a copy edit, sometimes called proofreading – the manuscript will be scanned for spelling, punctuation, grammar and obvious typographical errors. No matter how carefully you check, re-read, lay aside, pick up, re-check – something will get past you. The more you read the manuscript, the more you get 'blinded' by the words, you get to know them so well, and simple, obvious mistakes can slip through. I know. I've been embarrassed to see errors in my published work.

The second type of editing is the story edit. Items under the spotlight would be plot development, characterisation, continuity, pacing, and the like. For this, you will need someone who has experience of editing, and can understand what makes a well-paced novel.

Where to find an editor?

This is a difficult question. Many people and organisations offer editing, but who to choose?

One of the best ways is through personal recommendation. If you don't know anyone in publishing, try joining an online forum or writing group. One of the busiest is the Absolute Write Water Cooler. Search for it online, or follow http://www.absolutewrite.com forums There is a huge amount of advice on there, on writing, editing and publishing for the independent author. Also, and specifically for Kindle, there is Kindleboards at http://www.kindleboards.com and specifically, the Writers' Cafe. There you will find feedback from writers who have successfully self-published, and in some cases have sold many hundreds of thousands of their novels. Always be sure to check on an author's recommendations – find their books online, and check the reviews, to see if the editing process was successful.

 

How much will it cost?

For proofreading, expect to pay between $0.001 (a tenth of a cent) and $0.0025 (a quarter of a cent) per word. This works out to between $100 and $250 (around £64 – £160) for a 100,000-word novel.

For editing, the price will be higher. Expect to pay between $0.003 (three-tenths of a cent) and $0.005 (half a cent) per word. This works out to between $300 and $500 (around £200 – £320) for a 100,000-word novel.

These prices will be flexible, and many editors, if they don't know you, will request a chapter or a thousand words, so they can judge how much work will be involved.

Incidentally, the self-publishing industry is more advanced, chronologically, in the US than it is in the UK, and there are a wider variety of publishing services available there, which is why the prices quoted above are in US dollars.

 

Warning

Publishing is changing, and there has been a huge upsurge in new writers becoming published. Unfortunately, this upsurge has brought an increase in companies and individuals looking to prey on new authors, impatient to see their work in e-print. Make sure that you retain control of your work, and only pay for the service you actually need. There are a number of companies who will offer to proofread, edit and publish your work, including marketing, for a fee. These fees can extend into thousands of dollars, for a service which you possible do not need, and may not benefit in increased visibility and ebook sales. Vanity publishing is alive and well, albeit in a slightly different form. Preditors and Editors are invaluable for checking companies, as is Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware

 

Finally

The most important piece of advice is: don't rush the editing process. As an author, you will have probably spent hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of hours creating your novel. Doesn't it deserve the best chance to succeed?

 

Thank you, Gerald, for sharing your 'inside information'. I'd never have thought of looking to the US for selfpublishing services. And I'm glad you added the words of warning!

So, is this any different to editing with a traditional publisher? Take a look at Ed Hogan's post about working on The Hunger Trace (Simon and Schuster) with editor Francesca Main over on bookhugger's blog and see what you think.

Gerald Hornsby's Bleak Midwinter story collections one and two are available at Smashwords (for non-Kindles) or you can buy both in one print edition. Kindle editions are available on Amazon

 

 

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